Essential Contribute ® Training from Lynda.com

Adobe Contribute allows many different users to work on parts of a web site without interfering with one another. The work flow takes a bit of getting used-to if you are accustomed to working on solo projects.

What is Contribute?

Adobe Contribute is the name of a web page authoring program. You can use its simple features to create, change, delete, and organize web pages in your parts of the site http://library.csu.edu/.

You can not easily interfere with other users. Errors can be rolled back. In any case, the changes are staged for the web site and not installed until evening. If there is a real need, the changes can be deleted or installed immediately. The system is flexible.

Adobe Contribute must be installed on a workstation. There are seven installed in the library. The instructions below apply to the version of Contribute used in the Adobe Creative Suite CS5. Other workstations may have CS3 or CS4.

Workstations with Adobe Contribute Version CS5

LIB 224, the LISTS Digitization workstation (the closest cubicle to the glass entrance doors), and LIB 3xx (the anechoic room) are three private areas for quiet work. Accounts "web author" with password=freefall are available with plain profiles for ease of use.

Help, Tutorials, and Other Documentation

Use one of the seven workstations above. These have been configured with Adobe Contribute CS5.

You will have been supplied with passwords and usernames for authoring, editing, or publishing. The Connection Key will establish your portion of the web site with its resources and tools. You can obtain the key below by using or saving this file. There is great flexibility. You must keep these authentication items private and safe, or your portion of the web site may be compromised.

You will be asked to supply a correct connection password. Your director or the Digital Initiatives Librarian will have provided this password. You should never share this password. If it should become known to others, notify the Digital Initiatives Librarian immediately. Anyone with this password can change or deface your site using Contribute.

Adobe Contribute ® Keys

Each key is password protected. You could [right click and] download and store the key below on a removable device, as an email attachment, or another way, but the latest version of a key will be placed here.

Keys can change for various reasons. Therefore this link should be used to obtain the latest version of a key.

To connect, click on the appropriate Contribute Key below. Contribute, if installed on the machine you are using, will open for use of this key, or the key may be copied and stored.

If a key fails and the error message indicates an SFTP problem, the key needs regenerating after a server password change.
Contact Bill Graham, x2257, and report the problem. Indicate the SFTP error.

Reminders

Direct your browser to open this file with Contribute CS5 (default) if prompted

Optionally enter the Contribute startup password to begin work with Contribute.

When prompted, enter the connection key password. You may have been notified of a changing connection; this is normal. Accept the change.

From the many available activities, choose Edit Page.

Three editable regions on the internal template are available for change (adds, changes, deletes).

Pagetitle

Localmenu

Content

When done, choose one of the following depending upon the status of the file and the role you represent.

Publish for authors only

Send for all roles

Save for Later for all roles

Discard Draft for all roles

Then use the File menu or CTRL-Q to Exit

If you wish to continue later and are unready to publish, choose Save for Later and select a useful option. You will not be able directly to continue until you have finished and published, finished and sent for review or approval, or discarded your changes.